Respirable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈspaɪ(ə)ɹəb(ə)l/

Definitions

1. Suitable for inhalation and effective in supporting lung function
2. Appropriate for breathing, facilitating gas exchange necessary for survival
3. Capable of being safely breathed in and able to maintain respiratory function

Etymology: "Respirable" is a straightforward formation: it is the English adjective "respire" with the suffix "-able" attached. "Respire" itself comes from Latin "respirare," meaning "to breathe out again" or "to breathe back," built from "re-" (back, again) and "spirare" (to breathe), the same root that gives English "spirit" and "inspire." The suffix did the heavy lifting. "-able" descends from Latin "-abilis," which passed through Old French "-able" into Middle English, and it has long been one of English's most productive endings for forming adjectives meaning "capable of being" something. So "respirable" literally means "capable of being breathed." The word's sense is practical rather than poetic. It is most often used of air, gases, or dust that can be safely inhaled, such as airborne particles small enough to reach the lungs. The tidy Latin ancestry is the real story here: a plain combination of a verb and a suffix, with nothing surprising hidden in it.

Synonyms: breathable, inhabitable

Antonyms: unbreathable